


What's left

by Maki_Ayase



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, F/F, The AU no one asked for, aged up a bit, kind of sad, this whole thing is sad but it gets better in the end
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-03-01 06:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18794398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maki_Ayase/pseuds/Maki_Ayase
Summary: "What did it bring? To destroy everything you had?""It was worth it if it meant avenging her.""Even if she's gone forever?"Hyunjin didn't respond.In which Heejin goes to Eden and learns about technology and tries her best not to trigger another war.





	1. Hyunjin

**Author's Note:**

> In this, magic exists and Hyunjin is in the military. It's kind of set in a post-apocalyptic world and medieval time at the same time??? Some people have technology, some don't. Also, for my personal fun, being gay is the norm while being straight isn't looked down upon, it's just rare. Babies appear by magic lol.
> 
> Aight so there might be some mistakes cuz my first language ain't English

The sun was rising, and some birds were chirping. The port town had started to get active, but not a certain girl.

 

 'Late as always', some would say. But this time, she had a pretty good excuse.

 

Hyunjin had never run faster in her life. She almost slipped on the wet street stones in front of the flower shop and dropped her bag as she turned around the corner of the house. Thankfully, she was only wearing light leather armour and not her full suit. The shop owner popped his head out of the window as she ran by.

 

"Watch out, general! What are you doing running around like that?" He asked.

"I have to say goodbye to Heejin, Mr Park! She's leaving for Eden!"

"Send her my farewells, then!"

"Will do!" She screamed as she bolted down the cobblestone street.

 

Hyunjin saluted people as she went, jumping over and dodging stuff in her way, trying her best not to get her bag caught in stuff.

 

How was she supposed to know that the boat would leave two hours earlier? Her best friend hadn't even sent her a bird! Well, thinking about it, there was no way Heejin would have sent her one. That girl was deadly afraid of everything with wings. She had only known about the change of plans because of Heejin's moms. The general chuckled as she turned another corner and arrived at the top of the hill leading to the port.

 

She stopped for a moment, admiring the view of the orange sun hovering above the water, then saw the large sailboat that was to take her friend away from her. Heejin was a diplomat, and she had to leave to a country on the other side of the sea to finalize the new peace treaty. Their land and Eden had been at war for as long as she remembered, but Hyunjin's last siege on their capital had finally made them surrender. She was glad to declare that her army hadn't generated any citizen deaths.

 

Hyunjin remembered with a blush as she ran down the street that Heejin had been so proud of her that she had kissed her. Ever since that moment, her feelings for the girl had grown triple the size they already were. She kept wondering if that meant Heejin actually liked her back.

 

And now, before she could confess, Heejin had to go.

 

Obliviously, she would come back in about a month at most, but that was still too much for her.

 

She stopped running when she arrived at the first dock in the bay. A few sailors and fishers were walking around, but a group of a few people waiting around grabbed her attention. They were standing around in front of a dark brown caravel with a burgundy crescent moon on the sails — the emblem of their kingdom, Loona. The name 'Around You' was painted in gold on the hull. Hey, wait a minute. That was her boat!

 

She ran to the dock just as her navy captain friend, Park Chaewon, appeared in her field of vision. She was waving her arms to guide people around and had dressed up for the trip. Hyunjin stopped in front of her and crossed her arms over her chest. The sound alerted Chaewon, as she turned around and grinned at her.

 

"You guys! What the hell?"

"Hey, Hyunjin! How are you?"

"Are you stealing my ship, Park?" Hyunjin said, pointing her finger at the smaller blonde in front of her.

 

Heejin had introduced Chaewon to her when they were younger, and since then, the trio had been inseparable. As a boat captain, Chaewon would sometimes be in charge of transporting the military to other kingdoms. She was the one that taught her how Hyunjin's own boat worked after the King gave it to her as a gift for her immense service in the never-ending war against Eden.

 

"Oh, not at all! It's your Lieutenant, Jung Jinsoul-Unnie, that said we could take your boat. All the other ships are too big, and yours is the perfect size to go to Eden."

"Well, I never said yes! First of all, you changed the hour of departure and now this?"

"Can you stop yelling? You'll wake up the krakens sleeping under the rocks," a soft voice spoke from the deck of her boat.

 

Both girls looked up, and Hyunjin's heart skipped a beat. Her crush and best friend was leaning on the side of the caravel with a grin plastered on her face. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she was wearing sea-adapted clothes. She walked to the wooden plank connecting the boat to land and extended her arm towards Hyunjin. The general didn't even bat an eye at her blonde friend and ran to Heejin and tackled her into a hug, burying her face in her neck. The latter laughed and patted Hyunjin's back.

 

"I won't be gone for long, Aeongie."

"I know, I know," she whispered through the fabric of Heejin's shirt. "It's just gonna suck without you. I won't have anyone to annoy me."

"Well, I think Jinsoul-Unnie is doing a pretty good job so far."

 

She chuckled again as the general groaned. Hyunjin left the comfort of Heejin's neck to face her and took her hand in hers. They stayed like that for a few seconds, Heejin glancing at their intertwined fingers and smiling. This time, this trip was serious. Heejin could be in real danger, which frightened Hyunjin more than dying in combat. She could feel the tension building up between them. Maybe now was her chance.

 

"Heejin, there's something—"

"When I come back, I want you to bring me to the new bakery. I heard they have new kinds of bread that you never tasted before."

 

The tension seemed to be washed away and Hyunjin nodded slowly. Well, that was a fail. She cleared her throat and scrunched up her nose, remembering something.

 

"I want to give you something!"

 

She searched in her bag for the gift she had made for Heejin. She grunted in satisfaction as she pulled out a little animal-shaped rock and handed it to her friend. Heejin's face illuminated with joy as she carefully took it and examined it.

 

"What is it?"

"I don't know, I saw it in my dream the other day, and I thought it looked cute. I called it a bunny."

 

Heejin smiled and carefully put it in the pocket of her bag, then hugged her in a tight hug.

 

"Thank you, Hyunjin. I'll cherish it forever."

"Don't lose it," she joked. "It took me more than three seconds to make, this time."

"Alright! Time to go everyone!" Chaewon's small voice ordered.

 

The two girls parted away, and Hyunjin turned around and walked down the plank to the dock down below. Chaewon smiled at her and got on her toes to whisper something in her ear.

 

"I'll take good care of her, don't worry."

 

They hugged, and the captain got on board, ordering sailors around.

 

Hyunjin watched as they raised the sails and raised the anchor and sailed away, her eyes never leaving Heejin's. After a while, when her caravel was out of view, she heard someone snicker behind her, and Hyunjin looked back at her Lieutenant. She was leaning on her lance nonchalantly, smiling. She was also wearing light leather armour, and her blond hair was tied in a low ponytail.

 

"What?"

"You look like a love-sick puppy," Jinsoul replied.

Hyunjin frowned and grunted menacingly. "I didn't become general by chance, you know. I could kill you in a second if I wanted to."

"Believe me, I know. I've seen you summon ground magic more than once. I still believe you look dumb, waving at a girl you can't even confess too!" the tall blonde replied.

"Shut up, Jinsoul! I'm just... worried that she'll lose herself in Eden! You know they have technology there, unlike us. Everything's different."

 

Her friend hummed in response and turned her gaze towards the white castle that stood high in the mountain above their village. Hyunjin kept looking at the sea, imagining Heejin waving back at her.


	2. Heejin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know shit about diplomatic work so please don't judge lol

The first thing Heejin noticed was that Eden had a totally different smell. When in Loona you could smell the salt and the soft aroma of pastries floating around, Eden smelled like metal and dirt.

 

The second thing Heejin noted was that everything seemed to be grey. The buildings, the stone docks, the sky, even the civilians. When her boat finally docked, she jumped out, clutching the bunny Hyunjin had given her. Heejin cringed at herself when she thought of her friend. She had totally freaked out when Hyunjin had looked at her with those intense brown eyes of hers. What would she have done if Hyunjin had noticed how she was looking at her? How she had always looked at her? Heejin didn't want their moment to have been broken by a frown, or worse, a rejection. That's why she interrupted the girl as she was about to say something.

 

"Let down the anchor!" a tiny voice ordered.

 

Heejin frowned and closed her eyes. She had the feeling things would be more complicated than they seemed. Crossing the sea had taken her four days. She didn't know how many days it would take her to reach the capital. She would stay there for a few days, and maybe bring something back for Hyunjin. She could think of a few things that could delay her, but not for too long.

 

Chaewon suddenly appeared on her right, dusting her knees and taking her captain hat off.

 

"Finally! We're here!"

"There's an odd vibe, don't you think?"

"That's true, but don't worry. Nothing bad can happen to us here. We came to make peace, remember?" Chaewon said, putting her hand on Heejin's shoulder.

 

The diplomat nodded slowly. To help herself focus, she started looking around and realised their arrival had gathered quite a few pairs of eyes. Kids had stopped running, and merchants squinted their eyes at them. It was to be expected, with Hyunjin's last military move on them. Their kingdom emblem was displayed on their sails after all.

 

A girl about her age with dark shoulder-length hair, and odd black and colourful clothes started walking towards her and Heejin smiled, trying her best to look friendly. She stopped next to her and jerked her chin towards the caravel.

 

"Y'all the Loona guys?"

"Um, yes. We came for the peace treaty?"

"Great. My name's Ryujin, nice to meet you and etc. When you gather all your stuff, follow me to the trolley."

Heejin nodded, slightly confused. A trolley? What was that?

"Heejin, come get your trunk! We don't have all day!" a sailor's voice ordered.

 

The girl jumped and ran back to the boat. When all their belongings were on the dock, Heejin, Chaewon and two other guys followed the woman to a blue and white metal box with holes in it. A long metal cord spun above it and a portion of the rope connected to the roof. Heejin suddenly felt uneasy when she saw people sit on benches inside. What was this witchcraft? She stopped in her tracks and clutched her friend's arm.

 

"Chaewon, there's no way I'm going in this," she whispered in her ear.

"You don't have a choice. This thing is probably the only way to get to the capital."

"Does it teleport? I bet it teleports," Heejin whispered under her breath as the blonde pushed her forward.

 

She stepped in, looking around at people. They were all curiously looking at them, which made Heejin uncomfortable. She had gone to a few other kingdoms to conclude peace treaties and business deals, but she never had to travel in a giant metal box before. The only similar place had been Twiceland, but she had only stayed for a day. She had to push a 'button', and a door had opened on its own, almost like magic. King Jihyo had laughed a bit at her surprised face, but she had been kind enough not to mock her. It wasn't her fault. She had never been to a Fallen City before.

 

Heejin wasn't old enough to have observed the fall of one of those flying cities, but her grandpa used to tell her stories all the time of the day he saw Eden fall from the sky. Looking around now, the people seemed to have built around it quite quickly, even without magic. That was the difference between the original and fallen ones. The kingdoms had magic; the countries had technology.

 

A loud noise echoed around them, and the trolley started moving. Heejin let out a small squeak and clutched the metal pole in front of her. One of the two guys, Jisung, chuckled at her evident struggle, while Hansol looked as frightened as her. Chaewon wasn't saying anything, but Heejin knew from her frown and restless gaze that she was freaking out.

 

The girl from earlier came to them and noticed their uneasiness. "It's not gonna get better. This thing blows. Better get used to it, cuz we're gonna use it for three days. The capital's a long way to go."

 

The two girls nodded and tried their best to get comfortable as Ryujin walked away and started speaking with their friends. Heejin took the little bunny from her bag and squeezed it in her hand. If only Hyunjin were there. She would have loved it.

 

***

 

It was after a day that Heejin and her friends started relaxing. She had discovered the wonders of 'windows' and couldn't believe that the enabled you to look outside without letting the wind and insects inside. Unfortunately, the view had been nothing but grey smoke and large buildings and a few people walking around, seemingly lost. Heejin was afraid of their blank faces. Life here didn't seem enjoyable.

 

But now, the scenery was full of green, throwing her back to her home kingdom. Trees seemed to grown from cracks in the ground, and she saw a few birds flying above them. She cringed in fear, but then remembered that there was a roof above her head.

 

Vegetation was also growing from giant corpses of metal in the landscape, hiding them with large green leaves. One odd structure caught Heejin's attention, and she waved at Chaewon to come closer.

 

"What is that?"

"Oh! I haven't seen one of those in a long time! They were called airplanes. The ancestors of the Fallen Cities would use them to fly from the sky to land to meet with us. It is said some could be as big as a dragon!"

"Really?"

"Oh yes! But wouldn't you know? You've read tons of books about other kingdoms and Fallen Cities, right?" the blonde inquired, tilting her head to the side.

 

Heejin shook her head, smiling.

 

"That's what you think! I have to ask the Queen to let me in the library, so I don't go often. I just started, so I don't know everything yet, either."

 

The image of the large crystal doors leading to the library appeared in her mind. Those books were kept in the castle, where no one but the elite could touch them. After the unexpected death of her master, Heejin had inherited the task of a diplomat at a rather young age. The Queen had decided to take her under her wing to help her gain knowledge.

 

"Well then, since I'm pretty much your designated captain, I'll be sure to tell you stories of underwater kingdoms and strange music I heard in Fallen Cities!"

 

Chaewon gave Heejin her signature grin, and Heejin chuckled.

 

***

 

"We're here! Come get your stuff!" Ryujin screamed.

 

Heejin was on her feet in a second. She ran to the door, picked up her trunk and jumped out of the trolley. Finally! She breathed in, wanting to smell something else than thick air, and immediately coughed, inhaling smoke. She put her hand on her mouth and looked around.

 

There were way more people walking around than in the first town. People were dodging them, the mass of citizens acting like water flowing around rocks. Some sort of smoke seemed to be floating around, masking the sky. Heejin looked up and was surprised by the size of the buildings. She had read about them in a book, but seeing them for real was life-altering. Behind her, Hansol and Jisung and Cheawon hoped out of the trolley. They stretched, and Hansol started complaining.

 

"Urgh, finally! My butt couldn't take anymore!"

"You've had worse, Hansol,'' Jisung replied. ''Sitting for three days isn't as hard as general Hyunjin's scolding."

 

The young man shivered exaggeratedly and crouched in a ball on the ground. The motion made Heejin laugh out loud. Hyunjin could be harsh when soldiers didn't follow orders, it was true, but she would never hit them. She only did that to Hansol. The two had been friends since they first sparred with wooden sticks at the market when they were six and even went to the military together. As Hyunjin was promoted to knighthood to follow her father's footsteps, Hansol had prefered going up ranks in the infantry. They stayed close anyway, and Heejin had purposely picked the guy to come with her to make sure Hyunjin wouldn't be too worried.

 

"Guys, let's go! We're gonna miss the tramway!" Ryujin shouted at them, waving her arm. She was standing next to a building with large open doors, and people kept flooding out every two minutes.

'What's a tramway?' Heejin mouthed to Chaewon, who answered by shrugging and walking away.

 

When they arrived inside, Heejin gasped loudly and put her hands on her mouth. Another metal box, but this time so long she couldn't see the end! It had no metal rope, AND it looked cleaner! Ryujin was standing next to an open door, waving frantically at them. They all ran and jumped in, almost getting hit as the door closed by itself behind them and the tramway started to move slowly.

 

"Fuck, you guys! Can you be any slower? I'm not paid enough for that kind of stress," their guide mumbled to herself.

 

She pushed them towards some seats and pushed their stuff under their benches. They didn't say anything for a few seconds, and the tramway started to pick up speed, blurring their surroundings outside. Chaewon and the boys walked off, deciding to explore this new environment.

 

"Sorry, we must be hard to deal with. We've never been to a Fallen City before," Heejin apologised, looking down at her hands folded on her lap.

"Oh, it's fine, don't worry. I'm just glad to arrive home. I do have a time limit, though, so please don't open the doors and jump out."

 

Heejin chuckled, relieved. The other girl leant from her bench on the other side and looked around before looking back at Heejin again.

 

"Soooo... Could I ask what you guys are doin' here? I know y'all from Loona, but last time I checked, we didn't have the greatest political relations. The last siege really freaked me out. And my girlfriend's cousin's died in the war against you guys."

"Oh my God, I'm sorry!" the diplomat gasped.

Ryujin shook her head and waved her hand around. "It's fine. He was a jerk, anyway."

"Well, like I said the first time we met, we came to conclude a peace treaty with Eden."

"Oh shit, right! Hey, my bad."

"It's fine! It's not public yet, I think. Your King has to agree to the treaty first, then my friends and I have to come back to show it to our King. When she approves, then it's done!"

"Eyyy, nice! Finally gonna have some peace and quiet!"

"I hope so. I really do."

"Hey, Heejin, come quick!" Jisung's voice called.

 

The diplomat rose from her seat and nodded at the Eden girl, then skipped to where her friends were.

 

"You have to check this out!" Chaewon exclaimed, pushing her against a window.

 

And Heejin was so blown away by the view that she couldn't speak. Now, that was the Eden she had read about! The tramway was rolling on rails that seemed to float in the air, and all around them flew little metal balls. Under them, the city was glowing with coloured lights, and the houses seemed to be built in different shapes and forms. In the distance, Heejin saw a few flying vehicles floating in the air around taller buildings than the ones she had seen before. But the thing that truly marvelled her was the imposing palace that stood in the middle of the city, its high grey towers having openings large enough for vessels to go inside and out.

 

She could only stand there, her mouth wide open while her friends gasped at every new thing they saw. As they were approaching the end of their course, the sun went down, and everything around them seemed to glow in an ethereal way. The tramway stopped, and Ryujin let out a groan while bending over to touch her feet.

 

"Home, sweet home! Aight folks, let's not wait."

 

She helped them pick up their stuff, and walked out of the tramway. Heejin noticed that there seemed to be fewer people walking around than in the trolley station. The second thing Heejin noticed was that the citizens appeared more relaxed and happy, unlike the first time she put her foot in Eden.

 

They followed Ryujin, taking small streets and cutting through shops, and swerving around people and fountains. Those really impressed Heejin, as water shot out from the top and changed colour once in the air. Technology was impressive! Kingdoms didn't waste magic on trivial things like that, but Heejin suddenly wished they did. It would make a cute date location.

 

Their guide suddenly stopped in front of a big tavern-looking house and explained to them how the system worked. Unlike a tavern, their rooms had already been saved for them to use. After a profusion of thank you's, Ryujin left, and the Loona squad walked in, ready for more confusion.

 

***

 

"Please sit here, miss Jeon."

 

Heejin nodded and pulled a chair. She was trying her best not to fidget around, way too excited to be here than she should be. The war between the two countries could finally be over thanks to her! Plus, she was excited to go back home.

 

Heejin didn't like it in Eden. There were no trees in the city, no place to run free, no fresh air, AND! People didn't want her or her friends.

 

She found out that being inside the Capitol was a totally different story than walking around in a crowd. In that building, people avoided them. People would see them and take another path or just plainly shoot them dirty glares. If she weren't here to sign essential documents, Heejin would have gladly hidden behind a giant potted plant.

 

Ryujin had waited two days before guiding the four of them to the bright red crystal-shaped structure and left at the entrance, saying she couldn't go farther. The foreigners had walked in and immediately lost themselves. That thing was so high Heejin only remembered that there was no 13th floor.

 

"What in the world is an  _elevator_?" Chaewon had said, throwing her arms in the air. 

 

Now, Heejin was sitting at a table in front of an Eden diplomat. Chaewon had to stay outside with the boys, but she had given her a cheerful thumbs up beforehand. The captain had brought her sword with her, "in case anything happens", she had said.

 

Heejin lifted her head when the door opened. A small girl came in with a few paper sheets in hand, surprising Heejin. Why was a child handling these kinds of documents? The girl smiled as she handed them to Heejin and ran out, giggling. The man at the end of the table frowned and looked at the closed door with a surprised expression, before slowly turning back to Heejin and asking her questions about Loona.

 

"What requests does your King demand before we go further?"

"She wants to stop the war between our countries and start an alliance. That would enable us to trade with you, and this could profit both our lands. We could also be allies in the event of a war."

"Perfect, but in that case, my King demands financial compensation for the damage you have inflicted on our country. Furthermore, all he wants to trade is bottled-up magic."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I don't think that's possible. Magic can't stay in that form, plus, you couldn't use it."

 

They both didn't say anything while the man started writing on a piece of paper. When he was done, he grunted and twisted his mouth.

 

"What does your King think about money, then? What would you want in exchange?"

"We could use some of your technology if you show us how to use it."

"I'm sorry, that falls in the magic category again."

 

Heejin exhaled loudly, frustrated. That King was something! While she had never tried to fix relations between two fighting countries, none of the other Kings had been that demanding.

 

"What if we give you a few orbits? I think that can fuel some of the devices you have here, no?"

 

He would be stupid to refuse, she thought. Orbits were little colourful rocks that were the treasures of Loona. They were pure magic energy condensed in a small ball that, used correctly, could unleash immense magic power.

 

The other diplomat's eyes widened at the offer. Heejin had him!

 

"We can give you a few orbits, and you give us that thing you call 'electricity'? We want that. And windows. Please."

 

The man smiled at her, but before he could say anything, a loud sound reverberated under their feet and everything around them started shaking. Heejin let out a squeak as a large chunk of rock ceiling fell to her left, and she crouched under the table. The light above her stopped working and the room was plunged in darkness, further reinforcing the fear in Heejin.

 

The door swung open, and Chaewon came in, hanging onto the wall. She was screaming something, but the rumble was so loud Heejin couldn't even hear her heartbeat. The man was running at the door, but suddenly the floor caved in, and he screamed as he slipped down into the hole. Heejin screamed in terror as she started to slip too, but Chaewon caught her arm in time.

 

"Hold on!"

 

But Chaewon herself wasn't holding anything, so the motion dragged her down with Heejin. The last thing Heejin saw before falling into the dark was her friend's shocked face and the fear in her eyes.

 

 

As Ryujin would say: Eden sucked.


	3. Hyunjin

Hyunjin had been hanging out at the port more and more than usual. She would even train on the docks and jog on the beach, looking at the horizon, waiting. Every morning, she would run to the bird tower on the top of the hill and check for a message from Eden to no avail. It had been three weeks now since Heejin's departure, and Hyunjin couldn't wait to see her.

 

She had planned everything for the moment Heejin arrived. First, she would bring her to the thermal sources on the other side of the hill, in the hollow between their village and the mountain. Then, she would bring her to the bakery Heejin wanted to see, and they would eat there. Finally, they would go to Heejin's mom's house and hang out and talk and sleep there.

 

A dopey smiled crept up her face at the thought of Heejin. Hyunjin missed her bright smile, the soft touch of her small hand in hers, the funny stories the other woman would tell her after she came back from a kingdom.

 

Kim Hyunjin was definitely head over heels for her best friend.

 

The sword she was polishing slipped out of her hands and fell to the ground, the loud sound of metal hitting rock echoing through her house. She jumped in surprise, and her dad came rushing in, worried. He scrunched up his nose at the sight and ruffled her hair before going back outside. Hyunjin silently got up and followed him out to the garden. He was already on his knees, picking out the weeds out of the earth. It was that time of year when farmer planted their seeds, and Hyunjin's dad was no exception.

 

After the end of the war, Hyunjin and her troops received an extended vacation. The King was going to establish peace between Eden and Loona, so the girl used that time to spend with her dad. He was lonely since the death of her father, in the war she had herself fought. He wasn't dead as a hero, though. His whole squadron had been decimated by the armed androids of the Fallen City.

 

She was seven at the time. He had been lonely for a while now.

 

"Have you heard of Heejin yet?"

"No."

 

He didn't say anything back as she stood up to go pick up a shovel.

 

"I'm worried, dad. I know Eden is farther away than any of her other missions, and way less dangerous than the Pledis empire, but it's still Eden. Chaewon still hasn't sent me a bird."

"The discussions might take more time with that awful man in power. Heejin might have some trouble reasoning with him. Don't worry too much about your little girlfriend."

"Dad!"

 

Her dad laughed at her beet-red face and slapped a hand on her back.

 

"What's taking you so long? I know you like her."

"It's not that easy. I saw her hanging out with Jooeun the other day."

"She's not allowed to have other friends than you? Are you jealous, Hyun?"

"What? No, of course not!"

"Then make a move when she comes back! You only live once, honey. Don't wait until it's too late."

 

Hyunjin stayed silent for a moment, then nodded and returned to digging her hole in the ground.

 

***

 

The bright light of the sun reflected off metal swords and armour in the courtyard. The clang of the weapons hitting each other and the grunts of effort and the exclamations of victory could be heard for a few hundred feet around, the military's training ground being on the plateau of the cliff that stood above the village. The knights were yelling outside the walls of the training structures, riding their horses around the tall boulder that served as a fake enemy.

 

The soldiers were giving it their all to impress the two guests that had decided to visit them. The army general and her lieutenant were currently training among them, fighting with swords as their life depended on it. It could have been great practice for the two of them.

 

The only problem was that Hyunjin was being handed her ass to her.

 

She fell back yet again on the sand, and Jinsoul laughed at her with no shame.

 

"What's wrong, general? Having a hard time without your powers?"

 

Hyunjin didn't answer and got up, dusting the sand off her pants. With a big sigh, she placed her body back into defence position, the tip of her sword raised to her shoulders. Jinsoul didn't move, and after a few seconds of just standing there, she turned around and started walking away.

 

"What are you doing?" Hyunjin called, surprised.

"I'm going to the castle. You look like you need to think about your priorities, Hyun. Go down to the village and come fight me when the sun is above the water, alright?"

 

The blonde shot her a concerning smiled, and Hyunjin nodded, lowering her weapon. Jinsoul saluted people as she walked away, her dumb grin plastered on her face.

 

Hyunjin didn't waste time and ran outside the training walls, saluting people that screamed her title and jumped off the edge of the cliff.

 

'Thank God for powers' she thought as she landed on a piece of rock that stuck out from the wall. She put her hand on the side of the cliff and jumped down from rock to rock as they casually appeared at her will. The grumble took her mind off her biggest concern, forcing her to focus on what was in front of her. The descent was short, however, and her frown crept up her face once again.

 

Another week had passed without news of Heejin and Chaewon. Hyunjin even missed Hansol now. A million questions were twirling around in her head. What was taking them so long? Were they lost? Did their boat get stuck in a storm? Were they staying there to visit longer than planned?

 

Then, the one that sparked deep fear in her guts.

 

_Did something bad happen?_

 

Hyunjin shook her head as she ran up a hill. She stopped at the top, breathing a bit harder than earlier. Her title as an army general forced her to be at her best, be it physically or mentally. Hyunjin knew Jinsoul had noticed how depressed she was. She was glad her friend reminded her of her duty, though.

 

She entered the bird tower for the fifth time this week and asked the bird master the same question. And the answer was the same.

 

She walked out, feeling worse than ever.

 

Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw it.

 

She could recognise her boat from a mile away. The sails were still up, and the golden paint shone in the evening sun. All the worry she had accumulated suddenly washed out of her body in tears of joy as she ran down the hill and choked out the name of her favourite person in the whole world.

 

"Heejin!"

 

She almost stepped on a cat on her way down and yelled apologies, then dodged the few people walking at this hour and slid under a massive rock two people were carrying. She finally arrived without a scratch at the bottom of the hill and ran to the port. A line of ships looked ready to go, their hull freshly painted, and their sails sewed back up. 'Around You' was the last one in the row, patiently waiting for her in the faint heave of the waves.

 

"Heejin! Chaewon! Hansol! Jisung!"

 

She stopped in front of the boat, waiting for the plank to be set down, but nothing happened. Hyunjin frowned and backed up, looking at the deck. No one was there. A few sailors were walking on the other docks, so she ran to them and interrupted two mid-way in a conversation. They bent their knee at her arrival and stood up as she questioned them. They both looked at each other for a moment, then one of bit his lower lip and looked at the ground.

 

"My general, I'm sorry, but the crew members were the only ones who came back. Heejin and captain Park and the two soldiers never came back from the capital. After three weeks, a messenger came with the news of a terrible accident. The meeting building collapsed, so the boat left."

 

Hyunjin had been trained to resist pain and to resist letting her emotions get to her, so she didn't sink to her knees and didn't cry in front of them. She said "oh", thanked them and left.

 

She walked on the beach in silence, incapable of looking at the horizon. The sun was touching the water, but she wasn't even thinking about Jinsoul now.

 

In a moment of anger, she threw her sword away and got rid of her armour and shoes and started running. A familiar bittersweet taste filled her mouth, and she choked back sobs. She kept running while hot tears fell down her cheeks, trying to escape the harsh reality that smacked her right in her face. She ran up a hill, not even bothering moving the rocks that were digging in her feet. The physical pain took her mind off the bleeding of her heart.

 

When she arrived at the top, she stopped and breathed in the smell of the blooming azaleas. Chaewon's dad was the town's florist, so the three of them knew a lot about flowers and plants. Heejin had chosen azalea as her favourites for their pink colour and their meaning. Love and awareness.

 

Hyunjin finally fell to her knees and loudly cried in front of the disappearing sun. She cried out the name of her best friend, deep sobs shaking her whole body. She also called Hansol and Chaewon's name, mourning their disappearance. In her heart, Hyunjin knew something terrible had happened. That they would never come back.

 

"I should have never let you go there. I should have gone with you," she whispered.

 

Hyunjin looked up at the horizon. The sun was barely visible, only a small orange line indicating where it was. Her friends were on the other side. Dead. She would never see Heejin again, never poke fun at Chaewon, never playfully fight with Hansol ever again. She couldn't even hold decent funerals for them.

 

She would never see Heejin smile.

 

The tears didn't stop falling as she sat there for the entirety of the night, mourning.

 

***

 

A couple of days passed, but she was still there, looking at the horizon.

 

"General."

 

An unfamiliar low female voice called her, but Hyunjin ignored it, returning her attention on the rock rabbit she was making. The person walked to her side, stepping around all the little animal-shaped rocks scattered around her.

 

"There you are, general. Lieutenant Jung has been looking everywhere for you."

 

Hyunjin didn't even bother looking up.

 

The girl walked past her and stood at the edge of the top, looking at the horizon. She had long black hair, and she crossed her arms over her chest. She was a soldier, Hyunjin realised when the wind blew, and she saw the sword hanging at her waist.

 

"I lost a friend in Eden too."

 

The wind blew again, and the general tensed up.

 

"Not just a friend. My... my girlfriend. Park Chaewon. I know you guys are friends, so I assume you also miss her."

 

Hyunjin's voice came out for the first time in the three days. It sounded raspy and low from all the crying.

 

"You're Hyejoo, right?"

 

Chaewon was a rather private person, but she had recently told them about the younger soldier she was dating. Heejin and Hyunjin had desperately wanted to meet her, but with the siege, Hyunjin had been too occupied to do so. Hyunjin stood up and stood next to her.

 

"Chaewon only said good things about you. She liked you a lot. Every time she said your name, it was like little stars shone in her eyes. You must miss her a lot."

 

A small whine came from the soldier, and she buried her face in her hands.

 

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

 

Hyunjin slowly brought the other girl in a hug. Hyejoo sobbed silently, gripping the collar of her tunic. She petted her hair and looked with a blank gaze at the ground where a sea of little rabbits blocked the way. Her heart was empty of feeling, Heejin's disappearance stealing all the warmth inside. 

 

"I wish there were something I could do," Hyejoo whispered. "If only I had magic, I would attack Eden right now. Those scumbags are traitors."

"Isn't the King going to do something?"

 

Hyejoo scoffed and shook her head.

 

"Nothing has happened in three days. It's like she's ignoring it."

 

Hyunjin frowned and clenched her jaw.

 

"Are you kidding me? Nothing? But this is treason! She should strike right back!"

"We can't go alone and attack them like that. We'd get killed immediately. They are too afraid to start another war, I guess."

 

The flames of anger filled Hyunjin's heart once again. How dare the King and Queen ignore the death of her friends? Were they too high up to notice? Did all those years Heejin study for nothing?

 

The general stepped back, her face screwed up and her fists clenched. She turned to the horizon and glared at it until she couldn't see the difference between sky and sea. Heejin had the right to at least be avenged!

 

"I'll have to do it myself, then."

 

With that, she ran down the hill to the beach. This part of the Kingdom was full of orbit caves, which increased the magic power in the air and ground. Hyunjin stopped right in front of the water and kneeled. To use her power, she had to be in contact with the element. Summoning all her magic power to her hands, she let out a cry of effort and pushed her hands to the ground.

 

A low grumbled erupted from around Hyunjin, and the sand around her trembled. The rubbles at the bottom of the hill rolled to her and into the sea, followed slowly by bigger and bigger boulders. The earth shook and loud cracks, booming like thunder, exploded from left and right. Slabs formed at her sides, the magic power increasing thanks to the nearby orbits, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

 

Hyunjin pushed her right hand forward and grunted. A line of sharp rock spikes emerged from the sea and one by one, faster and faster, moved forwards towards the horizon. Some emerged near her town, encircling the port and hindering their movement. Hyunjin heard her people scream, but she was too focused on her rising rage and her desire to avenge Heejin.

 

She let out a pure screech of fury as the magic power consumed her. She had never used so much at the same time, and the effects were exhilarating. She could feel her power crossing the sea, looking unceasingly for the country that stole her friends from her.

 

"Eden, this is WAR!"

"HYUNJIN!"

 

No time! She had to avenge her friends!

 

The voice called her name again and again, and Hyunjin ignored them again and again. Just when she felt a halt to her powers, the cold sensation of metal on the skin of her neck made her jump. She turned around to be greeted with an anxious-looking Jinsoul. She was wearing her full armour, and her sword was pointed directly at her.

 

"Stop at this instant, Hyunjin!"

"They killed them, Jinsoul! I'm not going to step aside and watch as our King ignores their murder and calls it an accident! I won't let Heejin die there for nothing!"

"Hyunjin, this is ridiculous! You're going to start another war!"

"Yes, that's what I'm going for!"

"Hyunjin, that's treason on your part! Attacking your Kingdom is also treason! Stop!"

 

The general only shook her head, focusing her attention back to her magic. The blonde bit her bottom lip and shook her head sadly, before pointing her sword at her friend again.

 

"General Kim Hyunjin, I declare you a traitor to the throne of Loona! The King will decide on your sentence, and you will come with me this instant, or you will suffer the consequences!"

"Oh, spare me the formalities! You know I can beat you any day I want- Ah!"

 

Hyunjin's body suddenly tensed up, and she fell face first in the sea water, incapable of moving. A hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her out, and then she was raised by two soldiers that carried her with her arms on their shoulder. Jinsoul stood there, an orbit-made magic item in hand. Hyunjin couldn't believe it. Her friend had over-ridden her magic!

 

"Kim Hyunjin, do you have any words you would like to say before speaking to the King?"

 

Well, that was just mocking her. She couldn't even move! Jinsoul was looking at her, but she couldn't hold Hyunjin's shocked gaze.

 

"Take her to the castle," she whispered to the squadron of soldiers standing behind her.

 

 

 

The blonde turned around and stared at the sea as her friend was taken away. She stayed there for a while, her shoulders sagged. She understood Hyunjin's pain. She felt it every day, but she didn't attack another country without permission. Hyunjin had to show self-control, and as the military general and a knight, she couldn't afford to make a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rip Pristin... Pledis truly lost this time.


	4. Heejin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aight so watch out for language and trigger warning for character death :(((
> 
> Also some injury descriptions

"Haseul, pass me the wet towel. She started sweating again."

"Where is it?"

"I don't know, I gave it to you like an hour ago!"

"Hey, there's no need to be rude!"

"I'm not rude, I'm just overwhelmed by your carelessness."

"I am NOT careless."

"Just get me another towel, Haseul."

"Is this about last week's tteokbokki? You know I didn't mean to throw it out!"

"I don't care what you throw out, I can't even eat it!"

"Look I don't fucki-oh I found it!"

" _Woooow_. "

 

Heejin frowned, hearing the cacophony of voices. She slowly started to wake up, but she kept her eyes closed. Her situation still wasn't clear. Who were the two people speaking? Where was she? Where her friends there?

 

The memory of the crumbling building resurfaced, and she let out a shriek. Heejin opened her eyes and rose from her laying position, only to fall back with a grunt. Her whole body ached terribly, but the burning pain in her leg and left eye was the most significant.

 

"Great, she woke up! Good job, moron!"

"It was totally NOT my fault! I'm not a doctor like you, I don't know shit!"

 

Heejin realised she wasn't in the same place as before. She was in a bright pink room, on a comfy bed, and the clothes she was wearing were not hers. She noticed something was covering her left eye and tried to take it off to have a better view, but the moment she put her finger on it, the pain spiked, and she shrieked again.

 

"If I were you, I wouldn't touch that."

 

One of the two women by her side smiled at her. She had short brown hair and the same coloured eyes, and she was dressed in a simple grey dress with black pants. The other one had bright orange hair and straight bangs. She was wearing a sort of long white cardigan with pockets, and she was holding a towel, her hand hovering above Heejin's forehead. Both looked in their mid-twenties.

 

"Who are you?"

"I could ask the same," the one with short hair answered.

 

The other one hit her on the arm, and she whined in pain.

 

"Please excuse her manners, we have few guests," the redhead explained. "My name is... Vivi and this is Haseul."

 

Heejin nodded, clenching her jaw. She had to gather information if she wanted to know what was happening here.

 

"Where am I?"

"You are in the capital of Eden, Seoul. I found you more in the centre of town, but we're more in the underground part right now."

"Underground?"

"Yeah!" Haseul chirped in. "Around the castle, there are some open areas that show the underground city. A Fallen city is a country of its own, in a way. The ancestors had to make some space, so the vessel had an underground level. When it crashed, peeps just stayed there."

"Haseul, slow down! She's still confused by the shock of the fall."

"Ah, my bad."

 

That explained what she saw when she first arrived. Heejin used her arms to straighten her back, and she looked around for her friends. Chaewon was nowhere to be seen, as well as Hansol and Jisung. Vivi helped her sit properly, holding her upper-back.

 

"Hey watch out. You've been knocked out for a week, so your muscles are still stiff, you know."

"Say, where are my friends? Did you give us Eden medicine? I can't see them anywhere."

 

The two women glanced at each other and shook their head at each other before Vivi gave up and cleared her throat.

 

"What's your name?"

"Heejin."

"Alright, Heejin, we need to know what you were doing in the Capitol before... you know."

 

The memory played again in her mind, and Heejin shook her head, chills running down her spine. She didn't really want to talk about it, but she was determined to start a good relationship with these new people.

 

"I'm a Loona diplomat. We had a meeting going on to try to sign an agreement between our countries."

 

The two women widened their eyes and started making weird signs at each other before Vivi continued talking.

 

"Oh boy. Okay, this is going to be... sad news. I want you to prepare yourself because it's more than one."

 

Heejin's face became blank. A ball of anxiousness seemed to drop at the bottom of her stomach, and she gulped with difficulty. Haseul walked out of the room. With a closer look, Heejin noticed the resemblances with the healer's cave back in Loona. All sorts of weird tools were scattered around and the smell... It was the same as the day her master died. Haseul came back shortly with a box with white paper coming out of it. She put it on Heejin's lap and sat back down on her chair.

 

"Heejin," Vivi called.

 

There was no sun outside, Heejin noticed. There were no rays of heat, just multiple bright colours and black. Darkness surrounded her.

 

"Heejin!"

"I don't want to know," she whispered. "I don't want to hear what I dread."

"This is not only about you. It's about the relationship between our countries. Now, listen to me, Heejin."

 

The diplomat looked at the doctor, the tears shining in her eyes threatening to fall out.

 

"The crash wasn't an accident. Someone tried to kill all of you to prevent Loona and Eden to agree to a peace treaty. The place exploded from under."

 

Heejin took that first information with a gasp, her hands shooting to cover her mouth.

 

"I was walking in the city and saw the Capitol crumble. Some people started looking around in the parts to find survivors, so I joined in. That's when I found you."

 

Heejin shook her head, waiting for the next terrible piece of information. Vivi shook her head and played with her fingers.

 

"There were four other people with you: three men and a woman. Two had armours, but it didn't save them. The other man looked like a diplomat, and a huge rock had smashed his skull. The woman... The woman had a sword stuck through her chest, but she was holding a big boulder from falling on you. I don't know how she did it. I got to you guys and took you out. She smiled at me and said 'She needs to live'."

 

Heejin had started crying at the mention of Hansol and Jisung's death, but the sobs became louder at the end.

 

"She had no strength left. She was loosing so much blood, and she told me to run. The boulder fell on her before I could call anyone. I'm sorry, Heejin."

"Chaewon," she choked, gripping the bed sheets.

 

She buried her head in her arms, loudly wailing and sobbing. That wasn't fair! Her three friends had nothing to do there, they weren't diplomats! Why did they need to die?!

 

A hand rubbed her back and nudged her side. Heejin raised her head and saw Haseul handing her one of those white paper from the box.

 

"What is that?" she asked with difficulty.

"You don't have tissues in Loona? You blow your nose in those, like this."

 

She mimicked the movement and gave the paper to Heejin. It was softer than she expected, so she took it and blew her nose. It was way more efficient than just doing it with her hands as she would usually do. Haseul handed her another one, explaining that it was for drying her tears.

 

The two women stayed at her side while she cried for the whole night. Memories of her friend kept twirling in her mind, reminiscing the good times they spent together. They were childhood friends, raised together after their birth. She remembered running through colourful yellow flowers, laughing out loud as Chaewon was chasing her. She remembered when they helped each other study when they were in school, both of them being from prosperous families. The impromptu boat rides were the best, especially at night. They would watch the starry sky together and prank other captains by throwing squid ink all over their boat.

 

Sometimes Hyunjin was in those memories. Heejin remembered both of them asking to meet Hyejoo and Hyunjin teaching Chaewon how to use a sword. The short blonde had terribly wanted to duel her girlfriend for longer than five seconds.

 

After a while, Heejin was left alone so she could sleep, but she didn't really. She would wake up in cold sweat, reaching for a hand that wasn't there. She missed her home, her moms, her friends, but most importantly, Hyunjin. Her best friend would know how to make her feel better. Heejin wondered if the girl was okay, if she was eating well, if she was practising. If she missed her as much as she did.

 

***

 

The artificial light came into the room at an ungodly hour, so the woman decided to explore her surroundings. She had been stuck in bed for a day, and she was itching to move. It was her way to deal with grief.

 

Heejin removed the covers and scrunched her nose at the view of the cast on her leg. She had broken it during the fall of the Capitol, and it hurt like hell. She moved her leg as a block and stood up, most of her weight on her other leg. Heejin hopped to the corner of the room with difficulty, where all the medical instruments were placed on metal shelves. She examined them and found a mirror and looked at herself in it for the first time since her arrival in the fallen city.

 

Heejin gasped at the horrible appearance of her face. She had a large bruise on her cheek and scratches on her forehead. Her bottom lip was cut, and a small sticky bandage was stuck on her jawline, and her head was wrapped in white bandages. Heejin wasn't surprised to see the eyepatch on her left eye since she felt it permanently. She slowly slid it from around her head, trying her best not to touch her eye. When Heejin finally took it off and looked at herself in the mirror again, she had to bend over to suppress a heave of disgust. Her eyelid was closed, and it was sliced through the middle.

 

"No, no, no no no! Why? What even is this?"

 

Heejin threw the mirror to the other side the room, where it shattered in an awful noise. She sunk to the ground and backed-up to the side of the bed, kicking back the table full of medical instruments. It clattered to the ground, and Heejin grabbed her head between her palms.

 

Heejin was done for. Her life was over! She would never be able to come back home like this! She looked even worse than the village veterans! Heejin wasn't even sure her moms would recognise her! She would have to wear a pirate eye-patch for the rest of her life, and...

 

Hyunjin!

 

Oh no. Heejin had no chance with her now. Her friend would never date someone permanently scared and a reminder of Chaewon.

 

The door burst open, and Heejin started to cry again. Haseul was standing there, holding a stick with light bursting at the end.

 

"Oh my God Heejin, are you okay? We heard a loud noise!"

 

Vivi's smaller form slipped past the door frame and kneeled next to Heejin, checking her out for injuries.

 

"Are you injured? Did you fall?"

"T-T-The mi-rror..." Heejin managed to say between sobs.

 

The two women turned their gaze to the shards on the floor on the other side of the room. The doctor sighed and rubbed her shoulder.

 

"It's not as bad as it looks. The important thing is that you're alive, you know?"

 

If being alive was misery, how good was it? Heejin would rather be dead than face anyone from Loona.

 

"Alright, come here. Go back to your bed, and we'll talk in the morning."

"No."

"Heejin-"

"No! I don't want to wait anymore! I live, you say, but my friends are dead! Chaewon is dead! She'll never smell her favourite flowers ever again! She'll never laugh and let her hair fly in the wind ever again! Hyejoo will never see her ever again!"

 

The volume of her voice raised the more she went on. Vivi tried to calm her down to no avail.

 

"My mothers will only ever look at me with pity! Hyunjin will never see Hansol ever again! I won't ever be the same! Hyunjin will never accept me as she used to! I'd rather be dead than continue like this!" she screamed, flailing her arms in the air.

 

The sudden movement surprised both of the Eden habitants and Vivi took a step back and tripped on one of the instruments. She fell back and hit her head with a loud bang. Heejin and Haseul stopped moving for a few seconds before Haseul crouched to her side.

 

"Vivi? Hey babe, are you good?"

 

She didn't answer, so Heejin put her hands on her mouth and took a step forward.

 

"Oh my God, please don't die! Oh man, oh no no no! Kahei!"

 

The woman didn't move, and Heejin went pale. Her neck was in a position it shouldn't be. That's it. She killed someone.

 

The darkness around them was suffocating. For some reason, Haseul wasn't moving at all and that scared Heejin more than birds. Was she going to prison? Would she ever return to Loona? Or worse, was Haseul going to kill her? Suddenly, Vivi's eyes shot open and Heejin sighed in relief, before realising light shot out of them.

 

"What is that?" she screamed, trying to back up even more after hitting the wall.

 

Vivi straightened her back and slowly, turned her neck. It popped back in the right place with a metallic noise, nearly giving Heejin an aneurysm. The older woman shuddered and closed her eyes again, only to open them again without light shooting out. They all stayed silent while Heejin tried to find a good enough explanation for... that.

 

"What are you all looking at?"

"I thought I killed you," Heejin responded dumbly. "Your neck... the light?"

"It's pretty hard to kill me, you know," she chuckled.

 

Vivi looked over at Haseul, who was looking at the ground.

 

"Haseul?"

"You fell and... well, she's gonna go crazy if we don't tell her, Ka... Vivi."

"Oh. Well, she isn't from here. It should be fine."

 

Heejin grew confused the more they talked. Was Haseul disregarding the whole incident? Was she off the hook? Kahei? Vivi? Did she have some kind of healing magic? Vivi scratched the back of her head before sighing.

 

"In Eden, there are two types of people. The humans, like Haseul, and the androids, like me. Humans are made of flesh and bones and are more fragile than us androids, which are made of metal and circuits."

 

There was no reaction from Heejin's part. She was dumbfounded.

 

"What?"

"I can't really die, but you and Haseul can."

"Oh."

 

Haseul raised her hands at shoulder height and uttered a small 'Ta-da' before getting up. Vivi followed her, and they helped Heejin sit on her bed. The android had her head hung low, and Heejin didn't know why. There was one thing she was still curious about.

 

"Why... do you have two names?"

 

Haseul put her arm over her girlfriend's shoulder protectively and pointed outside.

 

"Androids were designed to be war machines, Heejin. You probably heard all about them when you were in Loona, right?"

 

They killed Hyunjin's father, Heejin remembered. She nodded, and Haseul continued.

 

"They aren't really considered citizens and have no real rights. The ones that stay behind are all the same 'failed' model army scientists built years ago and they all 'belong' to people. They only have one job, which is doing whatever people tell hem to do. They all have the same name. VV, or Vivi."

"So Haseul gave me a new name. It makes me feel less like 'something' and more like 'someone'."

"Babe, you were never 'something'," Haseul replied, softly laying a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek.

 

Heejin nodded, frowning. She never knew discrimination of that sort existed anywhere in the world. That was horrible!

 

"The worse part is that I have to pretend to be the doctor. I'm a singer for God's sake! I can't look inside someone's stomach!" Haseul exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air.

 

Kahei chuckled and rested her head on Haseul's shoulder.

 

"Yeah, thank God we drug the patients. I wouldn't even let you _touch_ a scalpel."

 

Heejin let herself fall on her back in the bed and yawned her life out of her body. The two women smiled at her and left the room, but not before letting her know they were in the room next to her and that they would talk in the morning about everything. Heejin nodded and apologised to Kahei for her explosion of anger. The android wasn't mad at all.

 

But Haseul was. Well, she didn't look like it, but...

 

"You do that again, and I slit your throat, you got me?"

 

_Edeners aren't that great after all._


	5. Hyunjin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, watch out for nasty stuff and the usual

Hyunjin had been to the castle before. After the end of the war, she had walked inside, her head held high as the villagers and nobles applauded as she trotted up the mountain on her horse. At the sight of the stone bridge, the only way that enabled people to cross the drop between the tall snowy mountain and the piece of rock the white palace was built upon, the general had jumped off her horse excitedly.

 

The King had greeted her with her arms wide open. Hyunjin even received a hug! Unsurprisingly, the Queen had also jumped in for a hug, a broad smile on her face.

 

"General Kim, I am so proud of you! I'm honoured to be in the presence of such a hero!"

"The honour is all mine, my Queen. Thank you for welcoming me."

 

But that was a thing of the past. This time, months later, Hyunjin was being dragged up the mountain, shivering in the cold air. For a traitor, she was surprisingly well treated. The soldiers all talked to her nicely and didn't hurt her. Hyunjin didn't resent them for the confused gaze they sometimes shot each other, or the whispering. She didn't really care. She didn't really care that she was going to prison either.

 

Heejin was dead; therefore, she had no reason to live.

 

That might have been a tad too dramatic, but that was what Hyunjin was feeling. Byulyi, Heejin's mom, would have sent her to prison for not doing anything anyways. Might as well do something productive.

 

They arrived at the stone bridge, and the soldier carrying her leaned over to whisper in her ear.

 

"For the effect, I'm going to throw you to the ground in front of the King, general. Please don't take this as a personal offence. The guards all feel this is wrong, but you know the drill."

 

Hyunjin didn't respond, and before the guard tried to repeat her sentence, the wide wooden doors opened, and the procession continued its route. The horses were left behind to be taken care of, and two soldiers held on to her arms. With her ankles shackled and her arms stuck behind her back, Hyunjin found it quite hard to walk.

 

Their steps echoed through the hallway leading to the courtroom. Various portraits of deceased royalty hanged on the walls, some of the previous Kings and their family or friends, some of the pets for some reason. Hyunjin frowned when she recognised her friend on one of them. Chaewon's stupid face was painted unto one of the canvas, her half-grin immortalised forever. Was this a mistake, or all along her dumbass blonde friend had been royalty? Hyunjin couldn't believe she had never known.

 

Doors opened yet again as they arrived at the end of the hallway. This time, the King was not waiting for her with her arms wide open, and the Queen was not smiling at her. She looked rather sad, Hyunjin noticed.

 

As said, the guard threw her to the floor in front of the royals. With the handcuffs on her wrists and ankles, Hyunjin did her best not to hit the ground face first. The whole room was silent as she rose to her knees, helping herself get up with her shoulders.

 

"General Kim Hyunjin, you have been charged for treason against the throne of Loona. The King will now announce your sentence," a herald announced.

 

A woman with long dark hair, dressed in a burgundy velvet suit with high black boots and black gloves with a golden crown on her head rose from the throne on the left. She slowly walked down the three stairs that led to her seat and stood up high in front of Hyunjin. In Hyunjin's eyes, King Sooyoung had never been more terrifying than at the moment. Her dark eyes locked with hers, an odd twinkle in them. She was silent, only observing her for a few moments. Moments that seemed to last forever before the Queen spoke.

 

"Kim Hyunjin! You have used your powers in an act condoned by the laws of this Kingdom. This way, you have hurt a country with whom we are currently forming an alliance, and at the same time, your own. Do you have anything to say for your defence?"

 

Queen Jiwoo looked like she was about to cry. In her peach gown and pearls, she looked ravishing. The delicate golden crown on her head, this time, shined more than her smile because she wasn't smiling. Hyunjin looked up to see the King still looking at her.

 

"Park Chaewon went with Heejin on this trip. As I walked to this room, I noticed her portrait on the wall. Does losing a family member do nothing to you?"

 

They both didn't say anything, so Hyunjin went on.

 

"Does losing your best diplomat mean nothing to you? My Queen, you took her as your protege! Heejin and Hansol, my best friends, were sent to die in a suicide mission!"

 

The rage overtook her yet again as she pursued her speech.

 

"But you don't care! Hansol is a soldier, and it is his duty to die like that! Heejin also serves this country! You people are hypocrites!" she spat. "You preach equality and do nothing when an injustice is committed."

"Are you done speaking non-sense?"

 

Hyunjin choked on her next words. Non-sense? The King sighed and shook her head.

 

"Do you have any proof to back up your accusations? Have you seen the bodies? Has someone from Eden contacted you?"

 

Hyunjin felt the heat rising on her cheeks. The answer was no, obviously. She couldn't answer something like 'Heejin was always on time' or 'Chaewon sends me birds every week'.

 

"The boat came back empty!"

"That's your proof? They could have decided to stay longer, you know."

 

King Sooyoung seemed to ignore every warning sign. Nothing Hyunjin would say help her case, but she did anyway. Unfortunately, something stupider came out of her mouth.

 

"I can feel it."

 

Sooyoung just flat out laughed at her. Queen Jiwoo winced and came to stand by her wife, holding her arm. That seemed to calm her down a little bit. She whipped a tear from her face and started mocking her.

 

"You freak out and attack Eden and your own country because you  _felt it?_ You're kidding me, right?"

"The... the sailors said they got a message... that the building had collapsed..."

 

Hyunjin had never felt more ashamed. Being laughed at by the King with her hands and feet shackled wasn't the best feeling in the world. King Sooyoung shook her head and took a good look at her, ignoring her last remark.

 

"You won this war and many battles your father could not, using those immense powers you possess with great self-control. I gave you power and gifts! Why you threw this all away is out of my control. You will now face the consequences of your action."

"Prison!"

 

The King and Hyunjin turned to the Queen, who had blurted out the word.

 

"What?"

"What she did wasn't done on purpose. Plus, she has the right to worry when her friends are way off schedule. What she did was a tad intense, but the death penalty is excessive."

 

Wait, the death penalty? Was Sooyoung planning to kill her?!

 

"I didn't even say anything yet!"

"But I know you would have said that."

 

The King pursed her lips, and Hyunjin started freaking out. Dying wasn't really the plan. She couldn't possibly do that to her dad. And what if, in the best of cases, Heejin was to come back?

 

"Urh, fine! Prison it is!"

 

Hyunjin sighed in relief. The two guards from earlier picked her up from the ground, and without a last word, dragged her to the left, where a smaller door was open. A narrow staircase led them down deep into the rock. The pulled her from left to right, taking hallways after hallways, going up then down more stairs until the general was utterly lost. Most of the cells she had seen were unoccupied or had a skeleton in them. The only light was one of the guards's torch, which meant Hyunjin would have no light once in her cell.

 

Saying Hyunjin wasn't feeling well would be an understatement. As she once heard Chaewon say, she was scared shitless. All type of anger had left her, and now only sadness and shame remained. She just KNEW something went wrong! The King didn't have to make a full scene.

 

She was thankful for the Queen. She had saved her life and stood up for her the whole time. Thank goodness she was there to calm the king of Loona.

 

The soldier walking in front of Hyunjin came to a stop and opened a cell door. Hyunjin walked in without fighting, forming a plan in her head. All the guards seemed to like her... well, more like idolised her. Convincing one or two to let her go would be easy. Then all she had to do was break a wall with her powers and-

 

Her plan was crushed to little pieces when one of the guards handcuffed her with magic-cancelling material. The metal covered the entirety of her hands and upper arms and stuck them together. She was done for.

 

"I'm sorry," the guard said, lowering her head.

 

Hyunjin shrugged and offered a smile. The guards left with the only source of light and Hyunjin sat down, backing up until she felt the wall against her back. She could feel the pressure all around her, meaning that she was deep inside the rock.

 

After a while of thinking to herself, Hyunjin heard a light chuckle.

 

"So what did  _you_  do?"

 

Hyunjin jerked her head to the right, where the voice was coming from. Obviously, she couldn't see who was there, but the voice was feminine and spoke with difficulty.

 

"Nothing."

"Right. This is the anti-magic section. Come on, spill the tea. I'm not one to judge."

"Look, I don't have tea, sorry. Good night."

"It's the middle of the day."

 

Hyunjin didn't say anything.

 

"I'm here for spying on you guys. I'm not from this kingdom," the woman continued.

 

Hyunjin regretted her curiosity.

 

"Spying?"

"Oh yeah. I'm the enemy! Tremble, Loona kid, in front of the general of the Eden army, Kim Lip!"

 

Hyunjin widened her eyes. An Edener, here! Plus, she was the one Hyunjin caught in a scouting mission on the other side of the Kingdom. Kim Lip was a feared name among knights and soldiers, for she was the only one with powers outside of Loona. Hyunjin had seen soldiers reduced to ashes a couple of years ago. It was said she could create giant fire dragons that could burn an entire forest down.

 

"So, who are you then?"

 

Hyunjin had to stop herself from lunging at her side of the cell.

 

"It's not your business."

"Wooooow. I made an effort, and you won't even tell me your name?"

"Well, I'm tired."

"Fine, if you want it that way."

 

She stopped talking, and Hyunjin sighed, dropping to the side. It was true. Using her powers like that drained her of her strength. She would have to beat her ass tomorrow.

 

Hyunjin missed her home. Down here, there were only straws for a bed.

 

***

 

Hyunjin woke up to the sound of someone crying. Before she had a chance to roll over to see —Well, at least try —, she heard the voice from yesterday. Kim Lip.

 

"Why do you cry every time you come here?"

"I'm sorry."

 

That was Jinsoul's voice. What was she doing down here? Hyunjin opened her eyes but didn't turn around or move. The orange light was shining around her, meaning her blonde lieutenant had brought a torch with her.

 

A hissing sound almost made her jump, but Hyunjin controlled herself.

 

"Ouch! That hurts!"

"Relax Jungeun. You won't feel it in a few seconds."

 

Hyunjin waited the few seconds and heard another hiss.

 

"Jinsoul-"

"Here! It's done for the arm! Now, eat up a bit. They under-feed you here, it's ridiculous!"

"Thanks."

 

So it really was Jinsoul, and she was helping a prisoner she had helped her catch! Hyunjin wasn't stupid enough to ignore the feeling of magic. Everyone born in Loona had a bit of magic in them, with some developing a specific aspect later in life. Jinsoul had basic healing magic, and she was using it on the girl next cell to hers. What in the world was she thinking?

 

"You seem a bit mopier today. Did something happen outside?"

 

The lieutenant inhaled and exhaled loudly before answering.

 

"Well... I had to arrest my general yesterday. You know, Hyunjin? Yeah. She used her powers and directly attacked Eden and Loona at the same time."

 

Hyunjin tensed up as she felt the burning gaze of the prisoner on her. Was she going to tell Jinsoul?

 

"So that's why the whole castle shook! I was surprised, I was sure I was going to die buried here."

 

Hyunjin frowned, but still silently thanked the enemy general.

 

"Yeah. She was sent to prison. I feel bad. She was so sad when she learned that her crush didn't come back from Eden."

"Oh, for the peace treaty mission?"

"Yeah. Apparently, the building Heejin and the others were in was destroyed with them still in there. The sailors think it was a setup. They think Eden wants to take their revenge."

 

Kim Lip, or Jungeun hummed, chewing on something.

 

"Eden would never do that. King Seungri has honour. He would never plan something like that when Loona can offer him orbits."

"Tell that to Hyunjin. Plus, her imprisonment created a whole crowd at the stone bridge. Villagers, led by Hyunjin's dad and Heejin's moms and Chaewon's dads, block the way. Let's say the King isn't too happy."

 

Hyunjin heard both of them sigh while she tried to process the information.

 

"Jungeun... I promise I'll find a way to get you out of here. Just wait a little longer."

"I don't know if I can," Kim Lip answered, her voice cracking. "Even with your healing, it just gets worse. It fuels him. And I think it fuels her too."

"Don't say that."

"You know it's true. I've told you that the Ha dynasty always hated my family. It isn't different with her. They banished us for treason long ago, but we kept our powers since my family is all straight. She resents me for that."

 

That explained the fire powers.

 

"But you're not," Jinsoul said with a little voice that made Hyunjin squint her eyes.

"Yes, not me."

 

Hyunjin felt her stomach do flips. She knew they were kissing, she just knew. Why was Jinsoul kissing a traitor? Why was Jinsoul in  _love_  with a traitor?

 

"You should go."

"I'll leave the torch on the wall like usual, alright?"

"Alright."

 

Hyunjin heard some shuffling, and her shadow on the wall shifted places when Jinsoul hung the torch on the wall.

 

"Jungeun... I'm sorry."

"You better be, bitch."

 

They both laughed, but it was bitter. Finally, her friend left, and Hyunjin rolled to the side and sat up.

 

"Before you say anything, I want you to know she told me everything about you, Kim Hyunjin. Don't come at me, bro."

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck you too bitch!"

 

Now that she could see her, Hyunjin understood Jinsoul's concern. Jungeun was badly hurt. Dried blood covered a side of her face and neck and her feet were bare, covered in scratches. Jinsoul had done an excellent job replacing a bone into her arm, Hyunjin noticed. She had a black eye, and her hands were also handcuffed like hers, sealing her powers. Her dark blonde hair was ruffled and dirty from the dust. The Edener jerked her chin towards her.

 

"You're prettier in person than in stories."

"What have you done to my friend, demon?"

"Me? Oh, nothing. She fell for me at second sight. She did help you capture me, remember?"

 

The other woman was grinning at her, confusing Hyunjin.

 

"Your people killed my friends!"

"And to that, I reply with not at all. My King would never, and with a Queen like Jiyong, he would never be able. He would never bring shame to his family like that. You know, Jiyong is a well-respected man in Eden. He gave a lot to the new hospital that opened near the Capitol after their daughter got sick."

"I don't care about couple dynamics! You know Eden is bad! Androids are bad!"

"Okay, I'll let you yell at me, but I'm done arguing. Good  _real_  night!"

"Wha-... hey! Wait a second!"

 

But the woman was already laying down. Even if she yelled at her, Jungeun wasn't answering. Hyunjin gave up and leaned her back on the wall. The never-ending night was going to be something else.

 

***

 

This time, Hyunjin woke up to the sound of a muffled scream. She wasn't even aware that she had fallen asleep again. She tried to rub her eyes but hit herself in the face with the handcuffs and cussed under her breath.

 

She turned around and immediately jumped up. The torch was still hanging on the wall, giving her a clear view of the scene. Jungeun's cell door was open, and a tall man in amour was standing above the blonde's curled up body on the floor. A metal stick in hand, he hit her over and over, spitting insults and laughing. The woman could barely protect her head with arms.

 

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?"

 

The man stopped moving and looked towards her, squinting his eyes. His eyes seemed to illuminate when he recognised her suddenly.

 

"General Kim! Hey!"

"Hyunsuk?"

 

Hyunjin recognised him as her father's friend. When her father was still alive, he would come over to have dinner with her family sometimes. He would bring her little gifts, too. She always thought he was nice. It wasn't until she joined the military that she saw his other side. A gruesome warrior that didn't hesitate to destroy the enemy. It wasn't bad at first, but when Hyunjin assisted to the beating of a surrendered soldier, she decided not to associate with him.

 

Now there he was, beating the hell out of a weakened enemy in  _prison_.

 

"I was wondering where you went! Nice job on the attack! I couldn't be more proud."

"T-Thank you. What are you doing here, anyway?"

 

The man looked over the poor woman that was coughing blood out and whining.

 

"Just my regular check-up. This bitch heals really fast. I have to come here every few days to give her food, so might as well make it fun!"

 

Hyunjin tried not to punch him at his words. That was disgusting and cruel. Even if she was from Eden, the enemy general didn't deserve that.

 

"Well, it looks like she's had enough. Don't do that again, it bothers me."

"Ah, my bad, Hyunjinie. I'll wait until you get out of here. Sooyoung won't hate you forever. She hates Eden too."

"Is there any food left in the kitchen? I'm kind of hungry."

"Oh yeah. The castle chef gives a box, and I give the bitch half all the time. Sorry if it isn't much."

 

Hyunjin tried not to look too disgusted or just plain baffled. How was Jungeun not dead by now? Good thing Jinsoul fed her properly! Hyunsuk opened her cell door and put the box on the ground and took out the items out for her to balance them on her handcuffs. General Kim Lip of Eden surely didn't receive the same treatment.

 

After eating, Hyunsuk left, saluting as he walked away and smiled. Hyunjin smiled back and rushed to their shared bar-wall when the light of the torch vanished.

 

"Are you okay?"

 

Jungeun grunted back at her. Hyunjin could feel the blood puddle around the bars and under her knees.

 

"I think I lost a tooth."

 

Hyunjin sighed and leaned her forehead on one of the icy metal bars.

 

"That guy is a total jerk."

"Yet you're friends with him."

"He's my father's friend. Not mine."

" _Hyunjinie, let me feed you this bread!_ " Jungeun mocked.

"Shut up. Anyway, why am I justifying myself? You're the enemy."

 

They didn't talk for a while. The only sound was the woman's ragged breathing and sniffles.

 

"Thank you for stopping him."

"No problem."

"Hey... Hyunjin?"

"We are totally not on a first name basis."

"Fine, whatever."

 

She sniffed again, and the chains on her handcuffs clinked.

 

"What did it bring? To destroy everything you had?"

"It was worth it if it meant avenging her."

"Even if she's gone forever?"

 

Hyunjin didn't respond.


	6. Heejin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey what's up guys here's my attempt at humour

A few days later, Heejin could finally walk around in her 'cast', something Edeners had invented to compensate for their lack of healing magic. Her leg still hurt a lot, but Kahei had assured her that it would come back to normal after a while. Her scratches had healed, and the bruises were smaller than before. Basically, Heejin was recovering well if you didn't count her eye.

 

Heejin was currently in the living room of the strange home-hospital house, doing some puzzle game called sudoku to pass the time, the little rock rabbit on her neck. Kahei was off somewhere upstairs, and Haseul was nowhere to be seen.

 

Heejin heard a scratching noise and looked up from her book. A teenager was standing outside the door, a long and flat piece of metal in hand. Like all the people in Seoul, she wore colourful clothes with black designs and a funky hairstyle. She had tied her hair into two buns on the top of her head, making her look like a little mouse. If she looked closer, Heejin found that she looked similar to Haseul. She was talking to a phone, a small device that enabled two people to communicate even if they weren't facing.

 

Heejin was sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge Edeners had. They were well off even without magic. The two women introduced her to a few other devices, among them being a washing machine and a toaster. Life in Loona suddenly looked harder than she thought it was.

 

Without any warning, the girl barged in, kicking the ajar door.

 

"Grams you won't fucking believe-"

 

She stopped yelling when she noticed Heejin on the couch, tightly gripping the sudoku book in surprise.

 

"Hey, what's up?"

"Hum... Well, there is the rest of the house? But if you mean in general, the sky. But if you want a real answer, the rest of the universe. Above the earth could also mean above another Kingdom, because we don't know if we're upside down or not-"

"HASEUL! KAHEI! THERE'S A DELUSIONAL GIRL IN YOUR LIVING ROOM! SHE ESCAPED THE RESTRAINED BED!"

 

Kahei came running down the stairs, shushing loudly.

 

"Jesus Yeojin, could you tone it down?"

"It's not my fault! I greeted her, and she started this speech about what's above our heads!"

"You asked me what's up!" Heejin replied, offended.

"You're supposed to reply with 'nothing much, you?' or like 'ah, I broke my goddamn leg, what about you' or _some_ -thing like that!"

"How am I supposed to know that?"

"Do you live under a rock?"

"I don't even know you! Could you be ruder than this?"

 

Kahei rubbed the bridge of her nose and shook her head.

 

"Yeojin, Heejin isn't from here. They take things literal where she lives. If you say something like 'break a leg', she'll get offended."

"What the hell? So you _do_ live under a rock!"

"Not at all! I have a house, thank you very much!"

"That's not... ugh, nevermind."

 

Yeojin walked around the two women and headed straight for the fridge (where Edeners put their food). She grabbed an orange metal can with bubbly liquid in it and came back to the living room, sitting on the couch next to Heejin.

 

Heejin was baffled. Who was that girl? Did she live here? Kahei rolled her eyes and took the phone away from the younger girl. Yeojin tried to grab it but failed.

 

"Haseul isn't here. I'll call her."

"Thank you unnie!"

 

Yeojin turned to face Heejin and smiled, grabbing both Heejin's hands.

 

"My bad, we didn't meet properly. I'm Im Yeojin, super ultra cute and adorable! Nice to meet you!"

"Uhh, wha-"

"Are you a patient? You look really wack."

"Wack?"

"Oh yeah. _Horrible_."

 

Heejin tried her best to understand, but it was hard with a kid talking so fast. The two women hadn't prepared her for Eden teenager talk.

 

"I'm Heejin."

"I know! Kahei called your name! So, you're not from Seoul, then? Are you from Busan? My buddy Yuri is from Busan, you know, but she lives in Seoul now! It's more interesting than the countryside, even if it's shitty. She's part of this group called Iz*one, and they have a Youtube channel! I think they make stupid bets for money or some shit. Did you know that our King is totally not legit?"

"Please stop talking, I beg you!" Heejin practically cried.

"Yeojin shut the fuck up!"

"Haseul-unnie!"

 

Haseul was standing in the door frame, grinning at them. Heejin sighed in relief when the younger girl jumped off the couch into Haseul's arms.

 

"I went grocery-shopping for _half-an-hour,_ and you're already bothering another patient?"

"I just wanted to tell you guys something I overheard! It's crucial!"

"Ssshhhhh! First of all, sit down over there and let's relax for a second!"

 

Kahei skipped to Haseul and greeted her back with a quick kiss, and they all sat down in the living room. Haseul started the introductions.

 

"Heejin, this is Yeojin. Sometimes she comes here to hang out."

"I'm basically Haseul's sister! We even look alike!"

"You're not? I was sure you were!" Heejin exclaimed, gradually getting used to the high-maintenance energy in the room.

"Nah, but she did take care of me for a long time. I'm the youngest of my family, and my parents couldn't take care of me, so I had to leave. Seoul might look good from the outside, but it sucks when you live in the underground part! It's for poor people!"

"Are you calling us poor, you bean?" Kahei said, squinting her eyes.

"Yeah, totally! The only thing funding you guys is Kahei's doctor business! If it weren't for her, you'd be living in the streets!"

 

Haseul gasped and jumped on Yeojin.

 

"Take that back, you rat!"

 

Heejin couldn't help but smile at the family banter. It reminded her of her sisters and how they used to play all the time. It brought a little life to the dull silence in the house.

 

"Oh! Before I forget!"

 

Yeojin stood up and brushed off the dust on her clothes.

 

"So, I was hanging out with Yerim at her place-"

"Yeojinnie, what did we tell you about that? You could get caught!"

"Oh come on, Haseul-unnie, me, get caught? Never in a million years! Anyway, I can't let this poor girl alone, it's just sad. So, I was hanging out with Yerim, when we overheard something!"

 

Yeojin paused to drink from her orange metal can and continued.

 

"It was King Seungri and another dude talking about the Capitol! The king was congratulating him for putting _bombs_ under the structure! Apparently, some Loona diplomats were there to sign a peace treaty! I mean, finally, right? This war has been going for longer than I'm alive! Good thing they only fought the androids during the siege— no offence unnie."

"None took," Kahei replied.

"The thing was that he killed them! He didn't want to have peace with Loona, he wants to attack them when their back is turned! So, by killing the diplomats, they were sure communication would stop and confuse Loona long enough for him to form a plan! Isn't that insane? I knew he wasn't legit, but that's smoking crack-worthy! Anyways, Yerim was devastated."

 

Heejin had her mouth wide open. So that was what happened! It was an assassination plan. Her friends had died in a war that wasn't over yet, and the enemy had the advantage now. Her family was in danger!

 

Heejin stood up, gripping the stone rabbit, but Haseul had already anticipated her reaction. She grabbed her arm and yanked her down. Heejin struggled to let her go, and Yeojin noticed the commotion.

 

"Let go, Haseul! I have to go home right now!"

"And how do you intend to do that, huh? Look at yourself! You don't even know how to get out of here!"

"I'll call Ryujin!"

"Ryujin? You don't even know her phone number! And at this hour, she's probably having a go with Yeji."

"Hey, sorry if my story freaked you out. Where did you say you were from, again?" Yeojin asked, suddenly taking a genuine interest in Heejin.

"I'm from GODDAMNED Loona, and I have to go back to my GODDAMNED crush and family to save them from your crazy FUCKING King! Does that answer your FUCKING question?"

 

Kahei whistled and fist-pumped in the air at her use of language, while Haseul looked horrified. Yeojin just looked taken aback. She nodded slowly and siped from her can again, mumbling something about 'snapping harder than Thanos'. Heejin stood up and brought her hands together, shooting the women a pleading look.

 

"Please, I need your help. All I ask is for you to bring me to the tramway station."

''Even if we do, you don't have any money for a ticket, nor a boat to go to Loona," Kahei remarked.

"Well... I'll..."

 

Heejin felt tears forming in her eye. This wasn't fair! She just wanted to go back to Hyunjin. The general was always protecting everyone in Loona, always risking her own life for others. Heejin wanted to do her part too. Surprisingly, Yeojin stood up and took her hand in hers.

 

"I'll take you to the station, unnie. I'll give you my savings because I can always go steal some more from the royal chest."

 

Kahei stood up and took Heejin's other hand.

 

"No, Yeojin, I'll go with her. You don't even know your way out of Seoul, you wouldn't make it."

"Girls, girls! I'll go. Both of you can't smuggle Heejin on a boat for shit. We don't want our plan to fail, right?"

"Haseul!"

 

They all smiled, and Heejin smiled through her tears. They all hugged her and Heejin finally felt a sense of relief. Maybe fate wasn't against her after all.

 

***

 

"So, you have a crush?"

"Is that seriously the only thing you remembered?"

 

Yeojin had insisted on accompanying them to the station. The four of them were taking one of the many taxis, hovering metal boxes controlled by androids sitting at the front. Heejin didn't really understand and at this point, she was too overwhelmed to ask.

 

"Who is she? C'mon, it's not that hard!"

"Fine! Her name is Kim Hyunjin!"

 

Heejin tried to look angry, but she was too glad to talk about her best friend. A stupid smile crept up her face, and Yeojin noticed it since she was sitting beside her.

 

"Heejin has a big fat crush on Hyunjin!" the younger girl yelled at the two other women at the front and Heejin tried to cover her mouth.

"Yeah, we been knew, bean."

"What does that mean?"

"It means they knew about your big fat crush on Kim Hyunjin."

"What, you knew?" Heejin exclaimed, popping her head between the seats. Kahei looked back at her with a little smile.

"Well, you kept saying that 'Hyunjin would never want you back'. I thought you were actually going out with her, to be honest."

 

Heejin frowned at the memory. The night she realised her... physical appearance had changed, she had a mental breakdown. Heejin wasn't _totally_ focused on her face, but she knew she was pretty and liked the way she looked. She wore an eyepatch to cover her eye for the moment, but she still wasn't sure about Hyunjin's reaction. Of course, the girl would always stay her friend, but going out with her was something Heejin still wasn't sure was a possibility.

 

Maybe asking her out would be a good starting point.

 

"Hey, my bad, but isn't Kim Hyunjin like, THE Kim Hyunjin, the army general of Loona, or am I on LSD right now?"

"We know you've never been high, dumbass. Stop talking like you do," Haseul replied.

 

The Edeners still looked at Heejin curiously. Heejin was scared of what they would think of her if she told the truth, but she did anyway. She was already deep in the hole anyway.

 

"Yeah, it's her."

"Oh my God! Heejin got the jackpot! I can't believe it! I heard she's super ripped!" Yeojin yelled, jumping up and down on her seat.

"From _who_?!" Haseul exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air in defeat.

"Well, _I_   heard she's the nicest general Loona ever had and that she never killed innocents. She respects the rules of war and has mercy. Even if our general went missing, I'm sure she's nice to her," Kahei continued.

"Your general? You mean Kim Lip the fire breather?"

 

Heejin had heard of her. Hyunjin would tell stories of her, describing the damage created by her fire powers. Heejin had no clue to why the woman had powers when she wasn't even from Loona.

 

"Yeah, apparently she went on a mission a couple of months ago and never came back. At least, that's what Yerim told me," Yeojin chirped in.

 

The taxi stopped, and they all got out. Yeojin stayed back and hugged goodbye, making Heejin promise to revisit her. The two women walked away to the station, helping a hopping Heejin, dodging people left and right. To blend in, Heejin had to wear some Eden clothes. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was drastically different from what she wore in Loona. They were skin-tight, and the bright colours brought a little fun to the atmosphere. She was wearing a hat on her head to hide her bandages and recovering face from the public. Kahei said it was to avoid unpleasant conversations.

 

''Quick, it's leaving in like five minutes!'' Haseul said, tugging at her arm.

 

Heejin stumbled forward and ran with the duo as best she could to the station doors. It was always a rush to take the tramway, even if she had only taken it twice. She got pushed inside the metal box and took a seat, leaving Haseul and Kahei to protect her from the flow of people. After a few seconds, the doors closed and Heejin breathed out loudly.

 

''It's an experience. I hate taking the tramway,'' Kahei said.

''Me too,'' Heejin agreed.

 

The thing started moving, and Heejin tightly gripped one of the metal bars rising from the ground. Her surroundings became blurry, and while getting out of Seoul, the only clear thing she saw was the grey castle looming over them, the high towers casting their shadows on the city.

 

***

 

Another three days later, the trio finally arrived in the first place in Eden Heejin had set foot in. The little port town still looked the same, with more miserable looking people wearing grey and merchants selling goods at every corner. They stepped out of the trolley and Heejin stretched again. The medicine Kahei kept applying to her had healed her scratches and reduced her bruises and the pain in her broken leg. Heejin leaned her crutches on a wall and rubbed the small of her back.

 

''I don't know how your people can do that all the time. After a day on a horse, we try to sleep in a bed or at least on the steady ground!''

''Yeah well we don't have horses, we have quicker transportation. It's either getting fast quickly or taking your time and sleeping well,'' Haseul huffed, dropping to her knees.

 

She looked kind of pale, and Kahei made fun of her.

 

''Haseul rarely left Seoul, so she shouldn't be talking about this. Right, Haseul?''

''Kindly fuck off, babe.''

 

Heejin chuckled and got up, dusting her butt.

 

''So, what boat do we get on?''

''I have two plans. One: we pay a shit-ton of money to get on one. Two: we smuggle on board with you.''

''You come with me?''

''Uh, yeah, we aren't gonna let you rot in there for like, what, another three days?'' Haseul asked, looking at the docks.

''It's a week, actually.''

''A WEEK?''

''Girls, quick! I think I found a boat!''

 

Kahei had walked away and was waving at them. The two ran and hopped to her, and the two women helped Heejin again. The boat was medium size and was transporting fabric. It was an illegal trade since both countries hadn't established a proper commercial deal, but Heejin didn't say anything. They got some dry food and water from the merchants on the side for the trip and bought some grey cloaks. People had been noticing them since their clothes stood out a lot.

 

While waiting for an opportunity, they were sitting on a bench, teaching little games to Heejin. At one point, the ground started shaking, and Heejin looked around, concerned.

 

''Is this normal?''

''I'm inclined to say no, but to be honest, I don't know. Kahei, is this shit normal?''

 

Before the android could speak, the rumble became louder, and suddenly, a rock spike emerged from the water, quickly followed by another and another and another. People started screaming and running away. The peaks crushed through a house and a few boats and destroyed the stone breakwater, going as far as making people fall in the water.

 

Then, it all suddenly stopped. Haseul was hanging onto a bench for her dear life, her feet hanging above a crack in the ground. Kahei, for her part, was gathering an old man's good from rolling away and holding a kid at the same time. Heejin had managed to run away far enough to be untouched. After regaining her senses, she felt the magic irradiating from the spikes of rock and shivered. Only one person could have possibly done that.

 

Hyunjin.

 

''What the actual fuck is this? Help!'' Haseul shrieked.

 

Heejin jumped to her and dragged her up until she was out of danger. They fell on the stone floor and panted, looking around. It was carnage. People were bleeding, some were screaming names and boats were sinking. Kahei ran at them, holding the food bag and smiling.

 

''I know this is wrong, but it's the perfect diversion. Let's steal a boat!''

''Are you crazy? I almost died! I'm traumatised!'' Haseul whined, jumping in her arms.

 

Kahei rubbed her back and looked at Heejin.

 

''Are you ok? You look pale.''

''It's Hyunjin.''

''What?''

''It's her. She did this.''

 

The two women looked at each other, widening their eyes.

 

''She can do that? But you said Loona's a week away from here.''

''Yes, it is.''

 

Heejin had no idea how Hyunjin did it. At the same time, she didn't know the extents of her friend's powers. Maybe she was as powerful as King Sooyoung. She couldn't help but amazed by her strength, though.

 

They still didn't waist a moment. While no one was looking, they ran to an intact dock and boarded a ship, pulling the anchor up and getting rid of the wood plank. The sails had been raised up, so all they had to do was take the wheel and push away from the town. The few people that saw them didn't do anything, so the trio drifted away, their only guide being Heejin. It was scary, but her friend had taught her how to do it. Heejin gripped the wheel, a tight feeling in her chest.

 

''I wish Chaewon was here.''


	7. Royals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's some casual backstory to quench your thirst lol

Sooyoung was lying in her bed wide awake, looking up at the ceiling. After a long day of chasing villagers away from the stone bridge and having to deal with them, she was relieved to do nothing while wearing comfortable clothes.

 

Chaewon's face flashed in front of her eyes, and Sooyoung shook her head. Her general's words had hit her more than she would have liked. She liked Kim Hyunjin a lot. She was grateful to have general Kim's daughter as her general. She was a powerful asset against any country or kingdom. She had shown her powers all right.

 

''Crazy bastard!'' Sooyoung spat out, and turned to the side and gripped her pillow, groaning.

 

Kim Hyunjin had to mess up and attack Eden without her permission! The diplomat she had sent was still there, and with the attack, the commercial deal was sure to flop. Maybe the Jeon girl could make it all better. Jiwoo kept bragging about how she was so much better than Defconn. Sooyoung didn't have time for that.

 

She was the King, after all. And not any King, she was the heir of the Ha dynasty. That lineage of Kings had built an empire, rallying vast Kingdoms such as Twiceland, ReVe, BP Area, and Fallen Cities such as MNH (ruled by her grandparents), Stone, and Rainbow Bridge.

 

Sometimes, the pressure was too much, and she couldn't handle it. Those days, Jiwoo took her place while she curled up in a ball in their bed. A ball would form in her stomach, and her throat would dry up, and she would suddenly feel terrified of just sitting on her throne and talk to people.

 

Sooyoung couldn't be more grateful for Jiwoo. The woman was her saviour, coming in to save her like a knight. Sooyoung sighed and closed her eyes.

 

She had met the girl while she was following her mother to Eden, attacking the country with general Kim and lieutenant Yang. The first day, they had camped a day away from the tall walls, where grass grew unbothered by the nasty technology. Sooyoung was just 17 at the time, and it was her first time going out of Loona. She was excited and had practised her sword fighting with a few royal guards, so she was positive that she would kick some edener butt.

 

King Sunmi was preparing an attack plan with the army, and it was boring, so Sooyoung had decided to walk around and explore. Of course, she had brought her sword. The wilderness was different here. The grass grew tall, and there were no trees for at least ten kilometres around her. She had to jump her way around, slashing the grass out of her way. She could barely see as the green grass rose to her nose.

 

After a while of finding nothing, the princess had become bored again. She sat down on a rock on top of a small hill. From afar, she could see the smoke rising from a few campfires from her camp and sighed.

 

''This is boring. All mother does is talk with general Kim. I wish mom were here to talk to animals or something...''

 

She stood upon the rock and rose her sword, taking a pose.

 

''I am the King of Loona, Sunmi the fierce! I will slay all you low-life that threatens the life of my people! En guard, edener!''

 

She pointed her sword forward and heard a shriek. Sooyoung screamed and fell down the rock on her butt. After fumbling around to pick up her weapon, she turned around, looking for the intruder. Sooyoung heard the grass on her right move and chased after the thing. She turned left and right, jumped over a few rocks and stopped in front of a small river. The intruder turned out to be a girl. She looked young, around Sooyoung's age, and she was knee-deep inside the water, her arms frozen at shoulder length. Her back was turned, so the princess could only see her long dark brown hair and odd black and colourful clothes.

 

''Hey! Don't run away!'' the teenager called, going down the ditch after her.

 

The other turned around, her eyes wide with fear and backed up more into the water. She lost her balance and yelped and fell into the water. Sooyoung tensed up and threw her sword away and jumped into the cold water. It was deeper than she thought it was. She swam to the girl who was splashing around and screaming. Sooyoung got a grip on her arm, and the girl pulled away, splashing water in her face. The Loona princess coughed and tried to get to her again.

 

''I'm trying to save you! Stop wiggling around, for Taeyeon's sake!''

 

The girl couldn't respond with water in her mouth, but she stopped moving, and Sooyoung put her head and arms over her shoulder. She swam to the side of the river, and she pulled herself and the girl up, shivering. This had to be a joke.

 

The intruder coughed and curled up into a ball, shivering. Sooyoung went to get her sword and ran back to her.

 

''Hey, are you alright?''

''If you're gonna kill me, kill me! Don't play around!'' she squeaked, ducking her head deeper between her arms.

 

Sooyoung scoffed and put her hands on her hips, shivering.

 

''Why would I kill you? I don't even know you!''

''That's not what you said earlier!''

''What?''

''You're the King of Loona, and you want to kill edeners! You threatened to kill me!''

 

Sooyoung widened her eyes and started laughing. The girl had taken her seriously when she was boasting on the rock!

 

''Get up, I'm not going to kill you.''

 

The girl didn't move, so Sooyoung went over and dragged her up, shushing the edener's protests. She had dirt on her face and with a closer look, looked dangerously pale. Her cheeks were slightly hollow, and she had bags under her eyes. She was small, smaller than her. After thinking for a quick second, Sooyoung gave her her coat. The girl took it and put it on, looking down.

 

''What's your name?''

''Why should I tell? Are you going to tell my King that I ran away?''

''You ran away?''

''Uh... I did not!'' she stuttered, looking down.

''So, tell me your name or I'll tell your King that you ran away!'' Sooyoung replied with a smug look on her face.

''That's not fair!''

 

They stayed silent for a few seconds, and the girl sighed, pouting.

 

''Fine! I'm Jiwoo. Happy?''

 

Sooyoung nodded and walked up to the ditch and started walking away.

 

''H-Hey! What are you doing?'' Jiwoo called.

''Follow me if you don't want to die of cold, kid.''

''I'm not a kid, I'm fifteen!''

''That's exactly what I said, kid.''

 

Jiwoo climbed up at her turn and walked past her, pouting. Sooyoung shook her head and followed her. Jiwoo wasn't wrong. If her mother found out that she had rescued an enemy, Sooyoung didn't know what would happen to her. Her older sister had been cast away for not having any powers, and it wasn't even her fault! Her mom had cried and pleaded for mercy, but her mother hadn't wanted to hear a word.

 

Sooyoung had never liked her mother. She was cold, fought with Eden all the time and was mean to her. She only started talking to her once all her siblings were either dead or unable to be the next one in line. Sooyoung didn't know how her mom loved a person like that.

 

''Once the war is over, you'll see what I see, Sooyoungie, I promise,'' her mom said. ''Everything is going to be better after the war.''

 

So Sooyoung had hidden Jiwoo away, a hundred meters away from her camp. She had brought her food and covers and sat with her, demanding to know more about Eden and why she ran away. Jiwoo was an orphan and lived in the poor part of a city called Seoul, the country's capital. Her friend Jungeun and her were living together, robbing rich people and helping the other kids at the shelter. Recently, the King had ordered to search the whole city to purge the ones that lived off others without participating in the economy, which included Jiwoo and all her friends. They had found them and drove them away, separating a few while others ran away. Her friend Jungeun had been taken, and Jiwoo hadn't seen her in two years. After getting a few resources, she had finally escaped the hell-hole of a place and journeyed through the high grass.

 

For a day away on a horse, it was three by foot and more for a kid. Jiwoo was starving when she met her and Sooyoung had saved her.

 

By next morning, Sooyoung had informed the King that she would guard the back and her mother had welcomed the initiative. Jiwoo rode with her hidden with a cloak, and she was so tiny it looked like another pack on Sooyoung's back.

 

 

 

Then came the attack. Loona's army was at the gate, slashing through to get in while the Eden android army blocked them. Sooyoung was there, protecting her camp from the enemy. The edeners sent out were human, and Sooyoung was taught to show no mercy towards fellow human beings. She couldn't defeat androids, but she could slit throats and stab hearts.

 

 

 

Then the next day came, and half of their army had to fall back. Sooyoung was barely standing up, her face covered in blood and her sword lost somewhere around her. General Kim came back, limping, and ordered her and everyone to get back on their horses. Without a word, Sooyoung complied and took Jiwoo back with her.

 

 

 

She never saw her mother after that day.

 

King Sunmi was declared dead when they came back to Loona, a month after their defeat. Queen Chungha was devastated and followed her wife barely a year after. Sooyoung had been crowned King of Loona at 18 years old. The girl had never imagined the title would hold so much responsibility and was quickly overwhelmed by it all. Fortunately, she had general Kim, but he passed away two years later in the war, leaving Kim Hyunjin and his husband.

 

 

 

 

''Sooyoung!

 

The King shook her head, coming back to the instant present. She was in her room in Loona, seven years later. She breathed in and out and turned to the door.  
  


Jiwoo was standing next to the dresser, putting her crown and jewellery away. Today, she was wearing a calf-high burgundy dress with golden thread laced up her back. Sooyoung couldn't help but gawk at her wife while she slowly undressed and put on a light cream tunic. The Queen caught her and grinned at her.  
  


"Why, my king, that's quite rude of you to look at me like I'm some piece of meat."

"Well, you technically are, my love."

"Oh?"  
  
  
The queen was about to flip the bed covers, but she backed up and crossed her arms on her chest, looking at the fire burning in their giant chimney. The orange of the flames reflected on her dark red hair, making it look like waves of light flowing around her.  
  


"I'm sorry, Jiwoo. It was a joke."

 

She was still pouting and standing aside, her arms crossed on her chest.  
  


"Please come. I want to be with you."  
  


Jiwoo sighed and walked over, responding to her pleading. She pulled the covers and nuzzled her head in Sooyoung's neck, giving a little peck on her jawline. Usually, the older girl would reciprocate, but Sooyoung just patted her head and sighed, looking up at the ceiling. Jiwoo frowned and leaned on her elbow.  
  


"What are you thinking about?"

"It's just... After so many years, the war is over. But what if Hyunjin is right? What if Chaewon is gone for real? Should I continue with it?"

"Sooyoung..."

"But you know, the war made my mother crazy," she rambled, moving her hands around. "My mom kept telling me that after the war, everything would be better. That she was a wonderful woman full of compassion before being crowned. What if going on makes me crazy too? What if I end up neglecting you? And when we're so close to having a kid!"

"Soo-"

"She's just my cousin, and it's not like anybody knows anyway. My mother cast her away when she found out she didn't have any powers. She's not super valuable? And the Jeon girl and the soldiers, Hyunjin did say they could be replaced, right?"  
  
"Are you that inhuman to consider those alternatives?"  
  
Sooyoung stopped talking and looked over at her wife, surprised. Jiwoo was frowning and had a hand on her hip.  
  
"Chaewon is part of your family! And Heejin is the best diplomat we had in years, and she's my friend! Hansol is Hyunjin's best friend, and Jisung is almost ready to be a knight. Maybe Hyunjin is right, you know. They have been there for a while, and the rumours from the sailors are terrible. You wouldn't let her finish before you emprisoned her."

"I..."

"Maybe we're not that done with Eden yet, Sooyoung. Maybe we have to push a bit more."

 

The King didn't say anything. Her wife was right as usual, but her insecurities were stronger.  
  


"I will wait until I get a direct message. Eden still hasn't said anything."

 

Jiwoo sighed and turned over to her side of the bed, getting away from her.  
  
  
*****

 

Choerry turned the corner of the aisle and continued walking, her hands in her pockets. There were a few cameras, but if she turned and faced the cashier, she would be safe.  
  


Choerry had done this a few times, sometimes with Yeojin's help, so she wasn't a beginner. She was a shoplifting pro.  
  


She subtly grabbed a ghana bar and a few other candies and walked to the sandwich bar, pretending to look interested.  
  


It worked, as the man looked away down to his phone. Choerry slowly slid away and out, careful to stay silent until she was a street away.  
  


"Aw yeah, fuck it up, Kenneth!"  
  


She dumped her treasure on the ground and smiled. A few green grapes candy, some mallang cow packets and hard candy. That would get a few smiles from the Dreamcatcher mercenary gang. She owned them a few things, so she had to start somewhere. Choerry sighed at the thought. A week ago, the leader, JiU, had pinned her to a wall and reclaimed her money back.  
  


She didn't have the damn money! She gave it away! So Choerry was in deep trouble.  
  


Seoul sucked to allow that kind of people to thrive. She wasn't thriving. That was a crime! Choerry sighed and picked up her loot and put it in her bag. It was still clear outside, but the sky was orange and darkening, so she hurried up. She had to go before her dad would get mad.  
  


She ran around, staying in the underground and hiding from the surface. She took all the little alleys, readjusting her mask on her face and jumping over drunkards. When she got to the Dreamcatcher base, she wrote a little note, put it in her bag and threw it through a window. Choerry hoped it would do for a moment. The bag was the princess's after all. It was a lot of money that she could have had for herself.  
  


She ran around until she was in front of one of the big metal walls defining the limits of the underground, then climbed up a ladder for a solid five minutes before pushing a piece of metal aside and sure enough, she ended up in a scrapbook store. Choerry carefully replaced the trapdoor and left by the backdoor, checking left and right before going. She put a hat on and ducked her head, walking towards the castle.  
  


Yeojin had told her she was too obvious, so she had taught her how to blend in. For starters, she had to change her name from Yerim to Choerry so she would attract fewer people. Next, she had to wear dirty clothes and a face mask. Now, she looked nothing like the upper-class edener she was.  
  


The two had first met when Yeojin tried to steal from the Royal chest. Yerim had caught her trying to open a locked door that led to an empty room, which she remarked out loud, scaring the younger girl.

 

''Are you looking for something?'' Yerim had asked.

 

Yeojin had looked around, but the hallway was empty. She had looked back at her with her eyes squinted.

 

''Nooooooo... I'm just browsin'.''

''Oh, for the computer, it's actually this way! You can follow me!''

 

So Yerim had led her to the computer room. Eden was an ancient flying city, which meant technology was prominent. Seoul had computer cafes, but the Royal computer room was on another level. Yeojin had gasped and stumbled forward, her eyes reflecting the blue light emanating from the different screens and gadgets all around.

 

''Do you think I can... borrow... a few things?''

''Sure! Go ahead!''

 

Yerim didn't interact with people often as her father kept her away from commoners, but she had enjoyed the smaller girl's company. After looting a few things in her bag, Yeojin had turned to her, both her hands on her hips.

 

''Who are you exactly?''

''I'm Yerim! And you?''

''That's not important. Do you let random people in here all the time? Is it like a thing you do?''

''Well, you're the first commoner I see in here! Do you want to be friends?''

''Oh Jesus, you're a nutcase.''

 

And that's how Yeojin introduced her to the life outside the castle. Yerim enjoyed it way more than her own. Out there, she was free, and she could play and eat whatever she wanted.

 

However, she had to return to the castle every night or else her father would catch her. Her other dad knew, but he helped her have fun and covered for her when she was late. When she got to the gate, Choerry quickly changed and put on nice clothes, throwing hers under a bush for tomorrow. She became Yerim and walked in with her head high, arranging her hair.

 

She hated coming back home. She hated having to face a man that only cared about himself, having to parade for him in front of stupid guests. She walked up to a flight of stairs and jogged up, following the hallway to her room. Yerim cautiously closed the door and quickly changed into a dress. Not even 30 seconds late, a knock echoed through her room.

 

''Yerim? Are you in there?''

''Yes! Come in!''

 

The person pushed the door, and Yerim forced a smile. Her father was standing tall, beaming as usual. His black hair was slowly turning grey, she remarked, and his outfit was all black. He walked to her, his arms raised and hugged her.

 

''Ah, today was a great day! The sun was shining, the smog was low, and your dad is feeling way better! His flu is getting under control, so we don't have to worry.''

''That's great, father.''

 

He took a step back and examined her, then frowned.

 

''Where's your crown, Yerimmie? You can't walk with me without your crown!''

 

Yerim sighed and looked at her dresser. The tiara was resting there, unused for a while. The one thing Yerim hated the most was standing in front of Seoul with her father wearing that thing. After hanging out with Yeojin, she knew what the people thought of her and her family. She felt the same way.

 

She put it on, and her father beamed, shaking his head.

 

''Now! Let's get ready to eat!''

 

King Seungri walked out of the room, his daughter following behind him. Her head was hung low, and her feet scraped the floor while she walked. Another night of this would surely kill her.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked, please leave a kudo!


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